Apparatus for producing laminated sheets



Nov. .8, 1932. J. WYSS APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LAMINATED SHEETS FiledMarch 26. 1930 2 sheets-sheet 1 11v VENT-0R Jul. IUS W YZS I A TTORNE VSNov. 8, 1932. i wYss 1,886,928

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LAMINATED SHEETS Filed March 26, 1930 2Sheets-Sh et 2 INVENTOR Juuus WY 5 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov.- 8, 1932UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE JULIUS WYSS, OI WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR TO NEW ENGLAND SPUN SILK CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. 'Y., ACORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS APPARATUS' FOR PRODUCING LAMINATED SHEETS,

Application filed March 26, 1930. Serial No. 438,939.

This invention relates to improvements in the production of laminatedsheets of fibrous materials, and has particular reference to a methodand apparatus for making such sheets.

It has been known to make laminated sheets i in which slivers or webs ofsilk or ramie fibres are interposed between layers of regeneratedcellulose to produce a material which may be cut into narrow strips foruse as braid for the manufacture of hats and otherspecialties in themillinery' trade and for other purposes, suchas the making of artificialflowers. In the production of spch material, it is essential that thesame be made waterproof in order to accomplish the dyeing thereof, asotherwise the constituent parts of the product would separate whensubjected to boiling temperatures. As far as known, this waterproofingoperation has been accomplished after the lamination of the various websof 7 material, thus necessitating additional opera- .tions such as thesaturating and subsequent drying of the laminated sheet. According tothe present invention, the 26 known method of making laminated sheets,such as above referred to, is improved upon by the application of asuitable waterproofing composition tothe 'fibrbus materials before thesame are laminated, thus eliminating the steps of saturating and dryingthe sheet which add considerabl to the ultimate cost of production. Itis ihuther-proposed to decorate sheets made in accordance with theinven-. tion by introducing between the webs of materials constitutingsaid sheets, before lamination thereof, a layer of confetti made ofpaper or the like and which may be in various sizes and shapes andvari-colored.

The invention contemplates the production of a. sheet of any desiredwidth in which a sliver or web of fibrous material, such as.

rayon staple fibres, silk, ramie, or the like, has aipplied thereto anadhesive and a waterproo g composition, and thereafter is atcarrying outthe invention;

of cellulose material for the sliver, if desired. In the latterinstance, the finished product may be employed as a wall covering, ahanging such as is used for draperies, or as a covering for confectionboxes and the like. When the fibrous sliver and either one or two sheetsof cellulose are used in making the product, the finished sheet, whichis then translucent, may be utilized in the manufacture of lamp-shades,or may be cut into thin ribbons or strips for use as a braid in makinghats, and in producin artificial flowers, as previously stated. T eproduct is susceptible of various other uses and, in any instance, anyone or all of the layers of material may be dyed or not beforelamination, or the dyeing operation may be accomplished on the finishedproduct. In either case, innumerable decorative designs may be effected.

The invention further contemplates an ap- 7 paratus to be used, inconjunction with the means for laminating the layers of materials, forcutting from any suitable material, such as paper, cellulose sheets orthreads, small pieces of various sizes and shaes in the nature ofconfetti which, after t e cutting operation, are fed upon the sliver offibrous material prior to its adhesion to the other layer or layersconstituting the laminated sheet. K I

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety ofexpressions, some of which, for purposes of illustration, are shown inthe accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation,partially dia grammatic and in section, of a machine forFigure 2 is a plan view of a punch appa ratus employed to cut theconfetti from a continuous web or webs of paper;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the fintached to a single web ofcellulose material; P as Produced on the machine 1 to form the laminatedsheet, or secured, as an intermediate layer, between two cellulosestrips, or, as a third possibility, attached to a backing of an opaquefibrous material such 56 as paper, cloth, or the like,'with a coveringof Figure 1', the various layers or webs being shown partiallyseparated; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation, showing diagrammatically a textilecarding mechanism which may be substituted for the 1 sliver-preparingmechanism, conventionally shown, in Figure 1. I

The invention is carried out preferably through the instrumentality of amachine such as shown in Figure 1, wherein there is illustratedconventionally, at the left of said figure, a preparing mechanism A of aconstruction well known in the textile art and adapted for the purposeof forming a plurality of fibres into a sliver 5 by the cooperation ofthe gills 6 disposed between the feeding and draft rolls 7 and 8,respectively, the latter assisting in the continuous feeding of thesliver through the machine. In

the resultant sliver, the multitude of fibres are closely arranged inpractically parallel relation and then fed through a guide 9. In themanufacture of the product of the present invention, it is preferable toemploy rayon staple fibre for making the sliver, although otherfibrousmaterials may be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

As the sliver 5 emerges from the guide 9 it passes between the gluingrolls 10 and 11, the former of which are partially immersed in a glueand other suitable adhesive contained within the tank 12. Immediatelyfollowin the application of the adhesive to the sllver, the latterpasses under a take-off roll 13 and is then engaged, on one surface, bya roll 14 used to apply a waterproofing composition to the sliver. Thiscomposition, which may be formaldehyde, is poured into a tank 15 and hasthe roll 14 partially immersed therein so as to obtain a constantapplication of the formaldehyde to the sliver. It has also been. foundfeasible to simultaneously apply the adhesive and waterproofingcomposition to the sliver by mixing the liquids in the same tank but,preferably, these applications are performed successively. p

At this point of the operation, should it be desired to decorate thefinished product by the distribution of confetti 16 upon the uppersurface of the sliver 5, the mechanism B, later to be described indetaiLbeComeseffective to deposit confetti upon said sliver as it passesover the roll 14. Throughout the description and claim, where referenceis made to confetti, the term is to be construed as including pieces ofany suitable material, such as vari-colored paper or the like, cut intoany shapes and sizes.

The lamination of the sliver 5 with one or more layers or webs of othermaterial or ma terials is now efi'ected. For this purpose, the sliver ispassed between two oppositely driven pressure rolls 17, preferably,rubber covered, and is here attached, by the adhesive coating which hasat least partially permeated the sliver, to one or more other,

layers of material or materials. the pres ent illustration, two suchlayers 18 and 19 layers are employed they may both be of cellulose,or'one of them may be of another fillliirous material, such as paper,cloth, or the l' e.

After being pressed together by the rolls 17, the laminated sheet nowpasses over a spreader roll 22 which aids in preventing any possiblewrinkling of the sheet. From thence, the sheet passes around a series ofheated drying cylinders 23 which may be enclosed in a casing (notshown), so as to eflectively retain the heat and facilitate drying ofthe sheet. Upon leaving the last of the cylinders 23, the sheet isguided by a series of rolls 24 on to a final drying roll 25. A roll 26and tension plate 27 now guide the sheet on to the take-up roll 28, saidplate being pivoted at 29 and having a weight 30 suspended from one endthereof to cause the plate to exert a pressure against the sheet as itis wound upon the roll 28. During the passage of the sheet around thedrying rolls, the various layers of material become securely attached toeach other and the formaldehyde has an opportunity to thoroughlypermeate said layers so that the finished product may, if desired,besubjected to a boiling temperature for purposes of dyeing withoutdanger of separation of the component elements of the sheet.

It may be found desirable for certain purposes to produce a sliver inwhich the fibres thereof do not run exactly parallel, as in the casewhen the preparing mechanism A is used, but are intermingled with eachother and extend both longitudinally and transversely of the sliver. Tothis end, the mechanism A may be replaced, as conventionally shown inFigure't, by a textile card C of known construction including the usualdufier roll 31, the dufi'er 32 and'guide 33 which cooperate to partiallystraighten the fibres of the sliver before it enters between the gluingrolls 10 and 11.

Referring now to the mechanism B em.-,

ing therewith is a vertically reciprocatory die 39 having its stemetOmovable in guides 41. This die 39gis'o'peratecl by a lever 42 p pivotedto one of the guides 41 and having one end connected to a rod 43operated from an eccentric 44. n Thus, as the lever 42 is oscillated,the die 39 is raised and lowered to intermittently out small pieces ofconfetti from the web or webs 36. After each cutting operation, theroll38 is rotated to move the webs 36 to a new position and the confettifalls through the die 35 into a funnel 45 from Q whence it is directedon to the sliver 5.

What is claimed In an apparatus for producing a laminated sheet, amechanism for forming a sliver of fibrous material, means to'apply anadhesive and a waterproofing composition to said sliver, means todepositconfetti upon a sur-. face of said sliver following the application ofthe adhesive thereto, and means to attach a layer of another material tosaid surface. 2 In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

JULIUS WYSS. y

